Holi celebrations in THIS town has a unique twist, it is played without...

Like every festival, people from all backgrounds come together to immerse themselves in this festival of colours that is Holi. They throw colours and splash colourful water on each other and wish them Happy Holi, while treating themselves to Holi delicacies like gujiya, malpua, puran poli, and more along with the chilled traditional almond beverage of thandai. However, in India Holi does not have a standard celebration everywhere, except, that throwing colours is common in many Holi traditions across India. Having said this, there is a place in Rajasthan which does not allow men to play Holi, not just that, according to this 500-year old tradition, men have to leave the village to let only women stay and enjoy the festival of colours. 

Unique Holi of Rajasthan's Tonk

According to local tales, in Rajasthan's Tonk region this tradition has taken from the purdah system, which barred visibility of women the presence of men, so at that time men used to voluntarily walk out from the villages to respect their privacy and let them play the festival freely. The practice is still being continued. However, boys till the age of five can stay in the village and above this age boys and men leave during Holi, old-age men are no exception. 

On the day of Holi, in the morning by 10 am, men leave their homes and move towards the Chamunda Mata temple on the outer areas of the village. After leaving their homes, men spend time attending a fair and listening to devotional songs for around five hours while the village remains solely in the guardianship of women. The rule has such severe restrictions that men cannot even watch women playing Holi. Traditionally, men found in the village during Holi would face physical punishment. Although times have changed, violating this rule can still lead to severe consequences, including permanent banishment from the village.

In a unique twist, women take center stage during Holi in Nagar village, reveling in the festivities with abandon, dressing up as men, and enjoying the freedom from societal norms. The next day, men join in, and the community celebrates together, applying colors and participating in a ritual where women playfully whip men, marking the end of the 500-year-old tradition, making this village's Holi a standout in Rajasthan.